Hydrogen Therapy Protects Memory After Surgery in Older Mice
- Authors
- Yue Tian, Shanbin Guo, Yan Zhang, Ying Xu, Ping Zhao, Xiaochun Zhao
- Journal
- Molecular Neurobiology
- Year
- 2017
- DOI
- 10.1007/s12035-016-9825-2
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich saline may help improve memory and learning in older mice after liver surgery by reducing brain inflammation.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline partially restored learning and memory abilities in aged mice with post-surgical cognitive dysfunction and reduced inflammatory markers in the hippocampus.
Summary
Researchers gave old mice hydrogen-rich saline (a salt solution containing hydrogen gas) after a liver surgery that typically causes memory and learning problems. The treatment partially restored the mice's ability to learn and remember spatial locations, and it reduced inflammation (swelling caused by immune response) in a brain region called the hippocampus that's important for memory. The hydrogen-rich saline appeared to work by blocking a cellular pathway called NF-κB that triggers inflammatory molecules.
Practical Takeaway
This is early-stage animal research showing hydrogen-rich saline may help protect memory after surgery by reducing brain inflammation. However, this was only tested in mice, not humans, so it's unclear whether these results would apply to people. Much more research, including human studies, would be needed before hydrogen-rich saline could be considered a treatment for post-surgical cognitive problems in elderly patients.
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of hydrogen-rich saline on the cognitive functions of elder mice with partial hepatectomy-induced postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). Ninety-six old male Kunming mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 24 each): control group (group C), hydrogen-rich saline group (group H), POCD group (group P), and POCD + hydrogen-rich saline group (group PH). Cognitive function was subsequently assessed using Morris water-maze (MWM) test. TNF-α and IL-1β levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry, along with NF-κB activity determined by ELISA. The morphology of hippocampal tissues were further observed by HE staining. Learning and memory abilities of mice were significantly impaired at day 10 and day 14 post-surgery, as partial hepatectomy significantly prolonged the escape latency, decreased time at the original platform quadrant and frequency of crossing in group P when compared to group C (p < 0.05). The surgery also increased the contents of TNF-α, IL-1β, and NF-κB activity at all time points after surgery (p < 0.05). The introduction of hydrogen-rich saline (group PH) partially rescued spatial memory and learning as it shortened escape latency and increased time and crossing frequency of original platform compared to group P (p < 0.05). Moreover, such treatment also decreased TNF-α and IL-1β levels and NF-κB activity (p < 0.05). In addition, cell necrosis in the hippocampus induced by hepatectomy was also rescued by hydrogen-rich saline. Hydrogen-rich saline can alleviate POCD via inhibiting NF-κB activity in the hippocampus and reducing inflammatory response.